The class of polymers of carbon monoxide and olefin(s) is well known in the art. Early methods for the production of various types of such polymers are illustrated by Brubaker, U.S. Pat. No. 2,495,286, U.K. Pat. No. 1,081,304 and Nozaki, U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,412. More recently, the class of linear alternating polymers of carbon monoxide and at least one ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon, e.g., ethylene or ethylene and propylene, has become of greater interest in part because of the greater availability of the polymers. These polymers, often referred to as polyketones or polyketone polymers, have been shown to be of a structure of the repeating formula --CO--(A) wherein A is the moiety of ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon polymerized through the ethylenic unsaturation. For example, when the unsaturated hydrocarbon is ethylene, the polymer is represented by the repeating firmula --CO(CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 --. The general process for the production of such polymers is illustrated by a number of published European patent applications including Nos. 0.121,965 and 0.181,014. The process generally involves the use of a catalyst formed from a compound of palladium, nickel or cobalt, the anion of a non-hydrohalogenic strong acid and a bidentate ligand of phosphorus, arsenic or antimony.
The polyketone polymers are relatively high molecular weight thermoplastics of known utility in the production by conventional techniques of shaped articles for use in the food and drink industry and for automotive parts.
It is, on occasion, useful to blend the polyketone polymers with other polymeric materials to retain the more desirable properties of the polyketone while improving other properties. For example, polyketone polymer is blended with a copolymer of ethylene and an unsaturated carboxylic acid, e.g., a copolymer of ethylene and acrylic acid, to produce blends having improved melt stability. Such blends are disclosed and claimed in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 135,429, filed Dec. 21, 1987, now abandoned (Docket No. T-4235).
The polyketones or the blends with copolymer of ethylene and unsaturated carboxylic acid, are shaped and/or formed by a variety of conventional techniques such as extrusion or injection molding into objects of known utility. For other purposes, it would be of advantage to coat objects with a coating of the polyketone polymer or blend thereof with ethylene/unsaturated carboxylic acid copolymer.